CHICAGO – The UIC baseball team suffered a heartbreaking defeat against Horizon League-leading Wright State on Sunday afternoon by a final score of 4-3. The Flames’ late rally in the bottom of the ninth inning fell short as they could only score one run faced with a two-run deficit in the final frame. UIC received a quality start from freshman lefty pitcher Tim Tarter as he lasted 6 1/3 innings, allowing just six hits and three earned runs. With the loss, UIC falls to 15-22 on the year and 9-9 in the conference.

Freshman Cody Dykema paced the Flames with two hits and Alex Grunenwald continued his hit-streak to 14 games with a single in the eighth inning.

After three scoreless innings, Wright State struck first in the fourth stanza as Garrett Gray notched an RBI-single that scored teammate Zach Tanner. The Raiders followed that up in the ensuing frame with two more scores as Tanner posted a two-RBI double to left center, giving WSU a 3-0 lead.

The Flames made it a one-run ball game with two scores in the seventh inning as Grunenwald and Jon Ryan reached base on a walk and a hit pitch, respectively. After the next batter Joe Betcher was walked to load the bases, WSU starting pitcher Cody Kopilchack was replaced with Jack Van Horn. Van Horn’s first batter Alex Jurich reached base on a fielder’s choice that plated Grunewald and sent Ryan to third. Dykema captured the final RBI of the inning with a slap up the middle, sending Ryan across home plate.

Wright State added an insurance run in the eighth inning as Justin Kopale picked up an RBI-single, scoring Tristan Moore. The Raiders would hold a 4-2 edge before entering the bottom of the ninth frame.

Looking to rally in the final inning, UIC began the near comeback with Jurich reaching first base on a walk. That was followed by a single from Dykema, which sent Jurich to second, brining Nick Addison to the plate. Addison advanced the runners one station by executing a well-placed sacrifice bunt for the first out. The next batter, Alex De LaRosa, made contact and sent screamer to the third-basemen for the second out, but also scoring Jurich. That proved to be the game-ending play as Dykema was then thrown out at third base as he tried to take third on the groundout.

The Flames return to action against Edgewood on Tuesday at home with first pitch set for 6:05 p.m. CT.